People and Pop Culture

Former Barcelona coach GERARDO MARTINO will succeed ALEJANDRO SABELLA as the coach of the Argentine national team for the next four years. Argentine FA Treasurer JOSÉ LEMME confirmed "that Martino's arrival has been agreed upon" (MARCA, 8/11). ... PAT HICKEY was elected unopposed for a new four-year term as president of the Olympic Council of Ireland, extending a record term of office since '89 (Olympic Council of Ireland). ... Cricket South Africa said that former national team captain GRAEME SMITH "has been appointed tournament director for the country's domestic Twenty20 competition." One of Smith's major requirements in his new role "will be to recruit international players to the Ram Slam T20 Challenge which starts in November" (REUTERS, 8/12). ... Leicestershire County Cricket Club CEO MIKE SIDDALL has announced "he will stand down at the end of the season after four years in the role."
Siddall said that Leicestershire's FLT20 triumph in '11 "was the highlight of his time at Grace Road, but he also cited various off-field achievements including securing the release of the city council covenant on the club's traditional home" (SKY SPORTS, 8/12). ... Global charter company Air Charter Service has appointed JAMIE HARRIS as VP of its U.S. Group Charter division. The division specializes in providing aircraft charters for groups of 20 or more people, with clients including sports teams, entertainment groups and oil and gas companies, among others. Harris, who has worked in ACS's offices in the U.K. and U.S., will be based at the company's North America HQ in New York (Air Charter Service).

IOC member PRINCESS HAYA of Jordan "cited her relief work for Gaza as a reason not to seek re-election" as Int'l Equestrian Federation president.
Princess Haya "was expected to win a third four-year term in December, when she will now also have to give up her Olympic position" (AP, 8/12). ... EPL side Queens Park Rangers has appointed former England Manager GLENN HODDLE "as first-team coach on a part-time basis."
The 56-year-old will work with fellow coaches JOE JORDAN and KEVIN BOND in assisting Manager HARRY REDKNAPP (BBC, 8/12). ... Former Pakistan cricketer DANISH KANERIA's "application to appeal against a life ban for spot-fixing has been refused." Kaneria "was banned in June 2012 after being found guilty of corruption while playing for Essex during a one-day match in 2009."
The 33-year-old "denies wrongdoing," but the Court of Appeal said his application was "totally without merit" (BBC, 8/12). ... Former NBA player JOSH CHILDRESS "has signed a one-year deal with the Sydney Kings and will play a major role in filling the hole left by fellow American" SAM YOUNG. Although the Kings "won't be paying Childress anywhere near as much as what he was on at the Phoenix Suns" in '12, he stands to make $7M this season from Phoenix, which used an amnesty clause to wipe him from the books in '12 (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 8/12).

FOR A GOOD CAUSE: Ligue 1 side Paris St. Germain striker ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC has donated £30,000 ($50,000) "to help the Swedish learning difficulties national team compete in the INAS World Championships in Brazil." Assistant coach STEFAN JONSSON "got in touch with Ibra asking him to donate a shirt for an auction as the side was struggling to raise money."
Jonsson said, "[Ibrahimovic] said, 'What the hell are you going with a jersey? What does it cost to go?' When we said that we needed 350,000 Swedish krone [£30,000], he asked for the account number and deposited it" (London INDEPENDENT, 8/12)

Bayern Munich striker THOMAS MÜLLER: "Ein Großer verlässt die Nationalmannschaft! WM-Rekordtorjäger Miro Klose war immer ein Vorbild an Einsatz, Laufbereitschaft und Torgefahr!" ... ("A great one is leaving the national team! World Cup record goal scorer Miro Klose was always a role model in terms of commitment, willingness to run and scoring abilites!")

London Telegraph's HENRY WINTER: "Hodgson on Sky blames #eng World Cup failure on 'a lack of fortune'. Nonsense. More a lack of world-class defenders & responsibility-takers."

MOURNING ROBIN WILLIAMS' DEATH: LANCE ARMSTRONG: "RIP Robin. I will always remember you as one hell of a friend. I love you and will miss you terribly."

NBA L.A. Clippers' BLAKE GRIFFIN: "RIP to the legend, Robin Williams. Thank you for the many laughs."